Least Expected
by Violintide
Summary: In which Tatsuha discovers that there are some things you never wanted to know about your family.


---  
  
Least Expected.  
  
[a (non-yaoi, fluffy) Tatsuha and Yuki story : Gravitation]  
  
by Jennifer  
  
peropero at inorbit dot com  
  
http://www.hatsuyume.net  
  
---  
  
I can feel this ending, my life crumbling into dust around me, gathering at my feet like funeral ashes. The horror of the scene before me is almost too much to comprehend. The slight twitching of his eye is the only sign that he's even noticed me standing here, frozen at the threshold, my lips forming words without sound.  
  
"Uh.. I.."  
  
Blinking back the tears that threaten to spill over, I stutter meaninglessly, taking a step back into the hallway. Of anything I could have expected, this was the farthest from my mind..  
  
"Aniki.. How.. How COULD you?!"  
  
I can't hold it in any longer.  
  
The stream of tears finally gushes out as I crumble to the floor, holding my sides in pain as I tremble. Over the loud echoes of my laughter, I can hear his footsteps as he walks around the desk, then pauses before me.  
  
Reaching down, he grabs a large handful of my shirt and harshly pulls me up from the floor, eyes narrowing into cold slits as he tries to look vaguely threatening. I don't think my uncontrollable giggles are helping the situation any.  
  
Taking a deep breath to contain myself, I use my free arm to gesture at his desk. "Eiri.. what in the HELL were you doing?!"  
  
He has the grace to blush, at least.  
  
"Tatsuha.. I wasn't.. I-" As he realizes just who it is he's holding in midair, he pauses in his defense, his natural coldness taking control once again. "What are YOU doing here?"  
  
"Nuh-uh, no shifting the focus of THIS conversation. I asked you first - what do you think you're doing with those.. things?"  
  
He slowly follows my gaze to his laptop, which has been pushed aside to make room for a box of markers and.. my god, I can't believe my brother would stoop so low.. a.. a doll.  
  
To be specific: a Skipper doll. A Skipper doll with the hair cut short, and colored pink with a marker. A Skipper doll with the hair cut short, colored pink with a marker, wearing a school uniform. A Skipper doll with the hair cut short, colored pink with a marker, wearing a GIRL'S school uniform.  
  
I can't make out the words of his muttered response.  
  
"What was that, dearest brother? I'm not sure I heard you."  
  
"Mmmrrph arglefluffle."  
  
"I can't HEEEEEEAAR you~!"  
  
"I *SAID* I was lonely, okay?!"  
  
As his gaze slides to the floor, his grip on me loosening, I grin knowingly. "Uh-huh."  
  
His embarrassment is quickly replaced with indignant anger. "If you don't wipe that goddamn smirk off your face in the next five seconds, I will tear it off for you."  
  
So calm, even when he's making death threats. What DOES Shuuichi see in him?  
  
"Hey, hey, I didn't say a word, did I?" After the.. experiences.. my brother has had in the past, I'd rather not be the one to tempt his *true* anger, especially since he's still had it in for me since the incident with Shuuichi and the Nittle Grasper video that time. Can *I* help it if his boyfriend bears a strong resemblance to God himself?  
  
Picking up the doll and the markers, he slides them into a drawer as he assures me that I did NOT see a thing, RIGHT? I hastily agree (hey, I have *some* sense of self-preservation) and tell him that the last 5 minutes have been wiped from my memory.  
  
Damn, his smile is creepy.  
  
"So, Tatsuha, why exactly is it that you're here again?"  
  
Tsk, tsk, a change of subject doesn't change the fact that my BROTHER was playing with DOLLS. Damn, this is one for the history books. Maybe Touma got him into this, that guy always was kinda poofy. (I momentarily lose my train of thought. Touma.. Nittle Grasper.. Ryuichi.. drool.. Whoops, back to reality.)  
  
"Just stopped by to drop off the video I borrowed from your boy toy." At the icy look this gets me, I fumble my words. "Uh, I mean, Shuuichi. Yeah. Sooo.. how long until he gets back from the tour?" Quick save, that. Always distract 'em before they can attack.  
  
I raise an eyebrow as he stares straight at me, reciting "One week, two days, eight hours, twenty-six minutes, and fifty..three seconds."  
  
Ooookay. "Wow, that's kinda impressive." A glare. "Gosh, look at the time. I'll be late for.. uh.. yeah. I'm gonna go now."  
  
As I exit the study, I pause and turn around momentarily. "Aniki?"  
  
"Hn?"  
  
"Frankly, the Kevin doll is better than the Skipper cos he doesn't have those little boobs, and if you use Barbie-sized clothes, they usually fit him. And use artist's ink instead of markers, it doesn't smudge off as much."  
  
Trading tips with Eiri. Mother and Father would be so proud.  
  
Heh. I even managed to snag a few potato chips from the open bag on the counter as I run out of the apartment before the shocked expression fades from Eiri's face.  
  
---  
  
Notes for the story:  
  
-This was written based on a challenge a friend of mine gave, which stated:  
  
The story must begin with the line: "I can feel this ending, my life crumbling into dust around me, gathering at my feet like funeral ashes." It had to end with potato chips.  
  
^_^; Clearly, I was bored. Yes, it's a piece of fairly weird fluff that doesn't fit together as well as I hoped. But, on the off chance that someone finds it mildly amusing, I thought I'd post it anyway. Yes, it's perhaps not what you'd call 'in character'.. --;  
  
I'm pretty sure that Tatsuha doesn't call his brother "Yuki", but seeing as I don't have my Gravitation episodes on hand, I can't check.  
  
Feedback is always appreciated, but lord, if this is the first story of mine you've ever read, maybe you should try something else I wrote before judging my overall skills. .of course, that might just confirm your opinion. ^_^;  
  
-'Aniki' means "older brother." I hatehatehate to use Japanese words in English writing, but there's not really an English equivalent to this. 


End file.
